"We have a great audience night in and night out but tonight you mean a lot to me," he says in a clip released by CBS ahead of Monday night's show. "You people are more, honestly, than an audience to me tonight, really. ... You're more like a human shield."

Letterman also noted that he came out onto the stage late because he was talking to a CBS executive about whether his life insurance policy covered him "for jihad."

"I wish I had a nickel for every time a guy has threatened to cut [my tongue out]," Letterman quips.

He then presents a list of people "who hate me," including al-Qaida; Sarah Palin; Donald Trump; Jay Leno; the Late Show staff, crew and home audience; Canadians; NBC; CBS; his neighbors; Tony Danza; frogs; and squirrels.

The New York Post reports that security was increased at Late Show's home at the Ed Sullivan Theater for Letterman's return.

The host was threatened last week by a frequent online commenter who called on Muslims to kill Letterman after being upset that the on-air personality made a slashing motion across his neck while discussing the death of senior al-Qaida member Ilyas Kashmiri.

The poster, who goes by the name Umar al-Basrawi, reportedly wrote: "Is there not amongst you a Sayyid Nosair al-Masri (may Allah release him) to cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever. Just as Sayyid (may Allah release him) did with the Jew Kahane.”